Saturday, January 4, 2014

The Denver Broncos will welcome back wide receiver Wes Welker in next weeks' playoff game. Welker has been off the field for a solid month after suffering his second concussion on a December 8th win over the Tennessee Titans. The last three games have not seen the Broncos' dynamic wide receiver, and thankfully they had another week to rest upon clinching a first round bye. Welker states he is good to go.

"Of course, you're always concerned any time you get a concussion or anything like that," Welker said following Thursday's practice. "But really I feel good. I think we've taken a lot more action than what we would have in the past with this whole ordeal. I feel like we've taken enough time, it will be five weeks from the day when I had any contact at all. I feel good, I feel fine, I feel ready to go."

Welker practiced last week on a limited basis and made the trip with the team to Oakland, but did not play in the regular-season finale. Still, there are those who are concerned about Welker's return, especially since he's suffered two concussions in a short amount of time. He sustained the first concussion against Kansas City win on November 17th but didn't sit out any games. Welker has a cumulative 778 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 10.7 yards a reception. Quarterback Peyton Manning has targeted Welker 110 times in 13 games played this year. Primarily Manning's third down target, the Broncos have had a tiny slip since Welker has been sidelined.
Asked Thursday when he started to feel 100 percent again, Welker said:

"It took a little bit of time, even when I felt like I was 100 percent, looking back on it you know you weren't 100 percent. It's always a tricky injury, just trying to manage it and everything else."

Welker's return means the Broncos will have their full allotment of play-makers on offense as they open the postseason. Which means, in essence, the Broncos and Manning will have a magnitude of viable options when they air out the ball. This is one of the Broncos' greatest weapons, their passing game.

Following this weekend's wild-card games, the Broncos will face the lowest remaining seed in the AFC playoff field on January 12th in Sports Authority Field at Mile High.